Citation

Legrand L, Delabarde T, Souillard-Scemama R, Sec I, Plu I, Laborie JM, Delannoy Y, Hamza L, Taccoen M, De Jong L, Benzakoun J, Edjlali M, Méder JF, Oppenheim C, Ludes B. J. Neuroradiol. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Pôle Universitaire d'Imagerie Post-Mortem, Université Paris Descartes-Paris 5, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 12 rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris, France; Institut Médico-Légal de Paris, 2 place Mazas, 75012 Paris, France; CNRS UMR 5288 Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, 6 rue Cabanel, 75015 Paris, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.neurad.2019.03.008

PMID

30954548

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: - The aim of this study was to assess the agreement between postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and autopsy in detecting traumatic head injuries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: - Consecutive cases of death that underwent both unenhanced PMCT and conventional autopsy were collected from our institution database during a period of 3 years and reviewed retrospectively. PMCT images were reviewed for the presence of fractures (cranial vault, skull base, facial bones and atlas/axis) and intracranial hemorrhage. Kappa values were calculated to determine the agreement between PMCT and autopsy reports.

RESULTS: - 73 cases were included, of which 44 (60%) had head trauma. Agreement between PMCT and autopsy was almost perfect (κ = 0.95) for fractures and substantial (κ = 0.75) for intracranial hemorrhage. PMCT was superior to autopsy in detecting facial bone and upper cervical spine fractures, and intraventricular hemorrhage. However, in some cases thin extra-axial blood collections were missed on PMCT.

CONCLUSIONS: - The agreement between PMCT and autopsy in detecting traumatic head injuries was good. Using a combination of both techniques increases the quality of postmortem evaluation because more lesions are detected.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Language: en

Keywords

Postmortem computed tomography; autopsy; fracture; hemorrhage; traumatic head injuries